Southern Jamfest 16U Standouts (Part 2)
It’s that time of year that we all wait for in the state of VA, as the top independent AAU tournament on the east coast came back to Hampton. The Hoop Group Southern Jamfest features some of the top shoe…
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Continue ReadingIt’s that time of year that we all wait for in the state of VA, as the top independent AAU tournament on the east coast came back to Hampton. The Hoop Group Southern Jamfest features some of the top shoe company and independent teams in the country, and is loaded with talent throughout the field.
Here’s a look at part two of some of the standouts in the 16U division.
Royce Parham | 6’7” PF | Team Durant 2024
Parham was huge for Durant on their way to the 16U championship, as the 6’7” forward did a little bit of everything to help his team throughout the event. He’s a versatile forward who can guard multiple positions, he can run the floor and finishes well at and above the rim and he can take guys out on the perimeter where he can make shots and take guys off the bounce as well. He is a walking double-double and he stepped up big for a Durant team that was shorthanded, showing he’s one of the top prospects in the Pennsylvania area in the 2024 class.
Markus Robinson Markus Robinson 6'2" | CG Finney | 2024 NY | 6’2” WG | Boo Williams 2024
Robinson has caught some national attention as the upstate NY native has been playing varsity basketball since he was in 8th grade, and recently moved and transferred to Veritas where he reclassified and has already scored over 3,000 points in his high school career. With all that being said it was my first time getting to watch him, and the most impressive thing I saw with him is that he’s an effortless scorer who doesn’t force things and can score it from all over the floor. He has excellent footwork and knows how to use his body to create space and keep defenders at bey, he understands angles in the midrange and around the basket and he can drill it from deep consistently and efficiently.
Zion Gardner Zion Gardner 6'8" | C Word of God | 2024 NC | 6’9” C | Boo Williams 2024
Gardner is coming off of a good sophomore season at Word of God in North Carolina and he showed what makes him a high upside big man as he continues to improve his body and get in better shape. He is versatile for his size as he moves well and can play on the perimeter with his ability to make shots and put it on the deck, and he’s strong in the post as he takes up a lot of space and can finish around the rim. He’s an above average athlete with his ability to finish around the rim, he can protect the rim and he plays with a solid motor too.
Carter McDowle 6’6” WF | Boo Williams 2024
McDowle is another NC product on this BWSL group that has a lot of upside moving forward and has a lot of intangibles to go along with his size and skill set that makes him very intriguing. He is a good athlete and has a good frame for his position, he can get up and down and put it on the deck and gets to the rim with ease and he can score it from multiple levels, especially around the rim and in the midrange. He is a true competitor who shows good toughness and brings it on both ends of the floor, and he’s very productive across the board on both ends of the floor.
Jordan Vick Jordan Vick 5'11" | PG Word of God | 2025 State NC | 5’8” PG | Team Trezz 2024
Vick is one of the most fun players to watch, as the small guard is extremely dynamic and explosive and is able to make jaw dropping plays despite his size. He’s super shifty and changes speeds and directions well, he is a dynamic leaper who can play above the rim despite his size and he has great hang time and body control to be able to contort his body and finish over bigger players. He can defend and has good strength and quickness and he’s a nightmare to matchup with as he comes at you time and time again.
Brayden Thorne Brayden Thorne 6'1" | PG Catholic | 2024 State VA | 5’10” PG | Team Loaded 757 2024
Thorne was fantastic for a 757 group that made a run to the final day and lost in a heartbreaker in the semifinals. The Catholic product did a great job running the show and making others better, but also showed he has takeover ability as a scorer as he finished with 25 points in a win over a very talented NJ Scholars EYBL team. He plays with great pace and controls the game, he’s strong and gets in the paint off the bounce to make plays for others and he can score the ball in multiple ways and is efficient and doesn’t make many mistakes.